If making the pumpkin mash from scratch, cut up the pumpkin into small pieces and remove the skin. Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cook for 20-45 mins, depending on how thick you’ve cut the pieces. You know it’s ready when a fork can mash it. Remove from oven and purée with either a fork, potato masher, stick blender or food processor. Don’t let it get too watery, you want it to have a mash consistency. Let it cool. Set aside 1/2 cup for the muffin recipe.

Line your muffin tray with patty cases.

In one bowl place the coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, cardamon and sea salt. Mix it together using a spatula.

In a large mixing bowl add the eggs, melted coconut oil or butter (make sure it’s cooled), rice malt syrup, vanilla extract and pumpkin purée. Using a beater, mix the wet ingredients until its blended.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with the spatula until just blended.

Then let it sit on the bench top for 1-2 minutes whilst the coconut flour soaks up all the wet ingredients.

Place evenly into muffin patty cases and fill to about 3/4 of the way.

Cook for about 15-18 mins. At the 15 min mark check with a skewer, if it comes out clean the muffins are ready.

Leave them in the muffin tin for about 5 mins, then place them onto a wire rack to continue cooling.

Store in an airtight container (if you don’t eat them all that day!).

Hints and Tips

We think a cheese frosting would be a delicious addition to these muffins if you’re making them really fancy!

We roasted the pumpkin so we didn’t introduce any wetness. If you boil the pumpkin the mash can be soggy. Also by roasting the pumpkin it gives the muffin a delicious caramelised element.

Don’t over blend the pumpkin purée. Just get it to a paste and its done.

You can use any type of pumpkin, we choose Kent because it’s sweet and readily available in all shops.

If you don’t want to use vanilla extract, you can use 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead.